Orthopedic supports are typically used to stabilize and protect various limbs of the human anatomy from sustaining or worsening an injury. Typically, orthopedic braces have been used on elbows, wrists, knees and ankles. The purpose of an orthopedic brace is to reduce strain on the injured limb while permitting the limb to continue its function, minimizing the risk of either a more damaging injury or renewing an old injury.
One significant problem with orthopedic braces used during athletic activities is the tendency of the orthopedic braces to shift as adjacent muscles tense and relax. For example, knee braces often ride down an athlete's leg when the athlete runs. When this problem is approached by tightening a conventional strapping mechanism, discomfort and restriction of circulation occurs. Even partial shifting of a typical orthopedic brace interferes with its proper operation, and so an athlete must choose between a properly oriented brace and a comfortable one.
Another problem with conventional braces is the bulky fittings used to couple straps. D-ring strap fittings usually depend from fittings that are attached to the brace by rivets or other fastening structures. Whenever the cuff structures have such extraneous additional structure for fitting the straps, user discomfort is increased from the added bulk and complexity, and a low profile is difficult to achieve.
Yet another problem with conventional braces is the lack of even compression of the soft tissues of the leg against the internal structure of the bones whose position and movement are to be controlled. As force is applied to a conventional brace, the brace tightens selectively near the tightened strap. This is particularly the case with a conventional brace that uses full circumference straps around, for example, a user's leg. As a load is applied to a conventional brace, the brace is free to distort, except where the straps are secure around the leg, and this distortion can allow the bones to misalign sufficiently to damage the ligaments about the knee. The typical strapping mechanism often does not adequately distribute the tightening force along the length of a tightening zone. Therefore, there are areas of higher and lower tension throughout the brace.
Another drawback associated with conventional strapping mechanisms is that it is often difficult to untighten or redistribute tension, as the wearer must loosen and readjust the straps and brace positioning.
Similar problems are present when protective wear or other articles or equipment are strapped to various parts of the body of a human or other animal. Such articles include, for example, shin guards for, for example, softball, baseball, soccer, or hockey, thigh guards, arm guards, shoulder guards or pads, etc.
There is, therefore, a need for a closure or tightening system for braces, protective wear and other similar articles that does not suffer from the aforementioned drawbacks. Such a system may facilitate automatic distribution of circumferential tightening forces along the braced or protected limbs or other body parts. The tightness of the article may desirably be easy to loosen and incrementally adjust. The tightening system may further close tightly and resist loosening with continued use.